


Brave

by saucy5sauce



Series: All The AUs [4]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: 6 Month Coma Cliche, Emma's wife is standing right in front of her, F/F, She doesn't remember anything at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-02
Updated: 2015-05-02
Packaged: 2018-03-22 09:09:46
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3723298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saucy5sauce/pseuds/saucy5sauce
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>In which Emma wakes up from a coma and doesn't remember her happily ever after. (Three guesses who she can't remember being married to.) </i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. PART 1

**PART 1 Waking Up**

Emma's eyes fluttered open like they would any other morning. It seems that while everyone she cared about stood around waiting for  _this_ _exact moment_ , no one told her of its importance.

See, this was not any other morning. This was the morning after the 6 months Emma had been in a coma. This was the morning that she would wake up besides a group of people she recognized, and one that she didn't-- not enough.

"Emma, baby?" her mother, with a soft face and young body (yes, now the nurse was looking at her strangely; to her, the pair must have looked the same age.)

Emma's dad took the one hand that wasn't holding his wife and reached for his daughter. Emma breathed in the family hug, memorizing the scents : vanilla and freshly-baked cookies from her mom's embrace and dusty wood from her father's. It was the kind of normal thing she had missed out on during her childhood. But that's another story.

This is the moment when Snow and Charming lean back and wander to the other end of the room to find tissues.

This is the moment where Regina steps forward.

Emma noticed the emotion in her eyes, because she had always known that that was how to predict what the unpredictable Evil Queen was going to do next: whatever rage or lust was shown in her eyes would be the leading force.

But Emma had never seen this emotion in her eyes, never seen her cry. But there they were, tears at the corner of her eyes. Even stranger, she didn't wipe them or pretend they weren't there. One dipped down her cheek and she let it.

Emma looked around at the other people in the room--  _Didn't they see that this was wierd?_  But everyone else seemed to be family, minus Henry.

"Henry," she rasped, looking up at the brunette, her hair always ending in the perfect . _She could get him for me, couldn't she?_  She wouldn't be selfish at this moment, this event which seemed to be big enough to make everyone cry.

Emma had just been offered the position of dective in Storybroke, and she had never been able to get enough of the Hardy Boys books or the Nancy Drews.  _One day,_ she had always thought, _My name was going to mean the same thing as theirs._

First, she would solve the mystery of my parents (of course). And then she would find a perfect husband, who part-timed as a brave sidekick.

But now there was the mystery of this moment: Emma was in a bed in a bland-looking room she did not reconigze. It hurt to talk and she had to think about it for a few seconds before her hand would move. Everyone was happy to see her, brought to tears without any words.

"What happened?" she said weakly.

Mary-Margaret, who now went by Snow, ran to her. "Oh, honey," she said.

The nurse left in an act that was more confused than disgusted.

Charming stood with a hand protectively on Snow's shoulder. "You were in an accident," he told Emma. "Trying to save someone else - You were very brave - And then you were very hurt."

"You've been in a coma," Snow sniffed, like the words hurt to admit outloud. "For 6 months."

" _Six_?!" Emma cried. The exhertion hurt, and she launced into a coughing fit. A different nurse came in to make sure that she was okay.

When that subsided, Emma gazed up at her parents with all the questions in my eyes that she could not say outloud.

"You were saving Regina," Charming said.

Snow glared at him. "We weren't going to tell her until--"

"Well, we're going to have to figure out what she remembers eventually," Regina spoke up, her voice hard.

"You're so brave, hon," Snow said, tears springing into her eyes. She stepped over and wrapped Regina in her most motherly embrace.

_What the fuck,_  Emma thought,  _Has happened while I've been out?_

  

* * *

 

The lights were out, but Regina had been able to see in the dark ever since that encounter with a dragon, back in the Enchanted Forest. Did Emma remember that story, remember how Regina had shook with the fear of the speaking the tale out loud? It had been one of the only times that she feared for her life. It had taken a lot of red wine and cuddling to get the story out of her, but Emma had said that she wanted to know everything about Regina, and Regina wanted her to know-- most of it. The better half. (The parts where she wasn’t terrorizing the country and killing peasants).

            The lights were out in Emma’s hospital room, but Regina could see every crease on the blonde’s face. She could see how restlessly Emma was sleeping, but that made Regina smile. That was normal. She always slept like it was a bad dream, or maybe it was that her dreams echoed her real life: there was always something to fight.

For the past 6 months, Emma had been lying there, in a fake kind of peaceful sleep. And that had made Regina worry. She would worry endlessly about Emma. She was too brave, too good, too determined to save everyone. It had been obvious that something like would happen to her. Regina had expected it, but that hadn’t made it any easier.

They had gone to buy life insurance together. Their hands had been knotted under the table as a middle-aged accountant droned on about payments. Regina remembered that she hadn’t been sure who was holding whose hand, exactly, not sure who needed more comfort at that moment-- her or Emma.

The accountant made a joke about how everyone in this town needed life insurance. He had been glaring at Regina then, mumbling something under his breath about a curse.

Emma had glared back at him with an intensity and evil that Regina had never seen before.

“Take that back,” the Savior hissed. “She has _changed_.”

The account had dropped his pen he was so frightened. And Regina had responded by laughing.

“This whole thing is ridiculous,” she said. “Really.”

And Emma had laughed with her. They left the insurance office with their arms around each other, laughing like they were in grade school. They laughed that whole night, so much so that Henry looked at them strangely and proclaimed that “he would tell Gold or Charming if they kept acting so funny”. Emma had tickled him in response to that, Regina remembered. It had been so sweet and so simple, and then their whole family was giggling.

They had signed the papers over wine coolers.

“To life,” Regina had said, raising her glass.

“To the things I couldn’t stand to leave behind,” Emma had responded, taking Regina’s breath away.

Emma _had_ left those things. For the past 6 months, there had been a hole in Regina’s bed, a hole in their house and a hole in her life. She had been a single mother before, but had never hated it so bitterly.

Charming took her out to lunch the day after Emma woke up. Both were anxious to go back to the hospital room, so they settled for the food court on level 2, just 3 below Emma.

Regina’s relationship with Charming was still strained, even after all the years. He seemed to be weary of her still, aware that she still possessed the ability for dark magic and, with it, destruction. And Regina respected him, though she wished he weren’t so stern on being the type of father who lectures anyone who puts a hand on his precious daughter.

This was that type of lunch, the kind that was merely a symbol, something to cross off David’s check list. Regina imagined that list now: SCARE REGINA, COMFORT SNOW, MAKE SURE EMMA KNOWS I LOVE HER, TELL SNOW I LOVE HER, KISS A DOZEN BABIES, BUY HENRY ICE CREAM, SAVE THE TOWN ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Regina was already rolling her eyes, and he hadn’t even said anything yet. This is why she hated family dinners.

“Regina,” David starting, ringing his hands together.

Regina sat back in her chair and watched him squirm.

“We have to be careful around Emma right now. She’s very fragile. The doctor says-”

“I’ve been there for all of the doctor’s meetings,” Regina couldn’t help but interrupt. “Even the ones you had to miss.”

His face went pink. “Yes, but, we all need reminding.”

“Please stop using ‘we’ to lecture, David.” She gestured around. “I’m the only one here. And you’re perfect.”

He didn’t correct her. This conversation was getting off track, out of his hands. David cleared his throat and went straight to his point: “You can’t keep going in her room at night.”

Regina looked down at her hands. She wasn’t sure if she was supposed to feel ashamed.

“The kids are fine, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said softly. “I use only the best protection spells, and all of my potions have proved to have worked time and time again.”

“It’s not your ability to do magic that I doubt,” Charming said, looking very much like he did doubt them. “It’s your ability as a wife. What if she woke up and saw you there? What if she had questions and gets scared? I have to protect her, I’m her father.”

Regina stood up, almost knocking the table and her chair over in the process. “The only reason I’m not leaving this conversation right now,” she said, fuming, “Is because I have one more thing to say to you. I’m her _wife_. I can and I will protect her with my life, and if you think I would accidentally hurt her, then you do not know me at all.”

They glared at each other for a heated few seconds. Then Regina continued.

“The reason I am leaving,” she said, “Is because you doubt me. You never stop doubting what I can do. You’ve seen some of the things I’m capable of-- was capable of. But you’ve seen that I’m a good mother and a good wife. Your daughter doesn’t doubt me, David. She loves me. And I’m insulted we are having this conversation again.”

With a flourish of her hair and the cape that she should be wearing (it really would make for such a better exit), Regina vanished.

 

* * *

 

Snow brought two things of Chunky Monkey, two spoons from her own house, and drove to the hospital for dinner.

She sat on the end of Emma’s bed and got a nurse to adjust her so that she was sitting comfortably. They small-talked until Snow felt ready to talk about the big things.

She cleared her throat. Emma was still engrossed in her favorite flavor of ice cream.

“Honey,” Snow said. “What do you remember?”

The doctors had told her that Emma wasn’t responding to that question, ever since they asked what year it was and she answered wrong.

“Being made detective,” Emma whispered. “Have they given the job to someone else yet?”

Snow sucked in her breath. “No,” she said. “Not exactly.”

“What does that mean?” Emma dug her spoon into the ice cream with strength.

“You don’t remember being a detective,” Snow stated. She knew that Emma wouldn’t answer if it was a question. But a slight nod gave away that she didn’t.

Emma decided that she had to be brave. If she couldn’t be while talking to her mother, there was no hope for her.

“How long ago was the job proposal?” Emma asked.

Snow fidgeted with her spoon. “Um, it was a while ago.”

Emma closed her eyes. This was what she expected but-- this was learning that she had lost _years_ of her life, that there were gaps she might never get back. How old was she? How old was Henry, for that matter?

“How long ago?” Emma whispered.

“Five years.”

“Did anything, um, notable happen in those years?” She was doing quick calculations in her head. Henry was a teenager. She was in her early forties. How many curses had been cast in the past five years? How many times had the town survived anyway?

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” her mother said honestly. “We can save it for another day. Your father doesn’t want to stress you out.”

“Okay,” Emma nodded. She did feel tired and overwhelmed. “But can you answer one question? I noticed something…”

“Of course,” Snow said. “If you think you can handle it.”

“The nurse gave me some of my personal things. She said when I came in, I was wearing a ring.” Emma’s voice caught with emotion. She never thought she wouldn’t remember her wedding. “Did Hook and I--?”

Snow shook her head. “Honey,” she said, “You married Regina.”


	2. PART 2

**PART 2 : Going Home**

            It had been three weeks since Emma’s life had changed. She felt as if a bomb had been dropped on her life (or, at least, how she remembered her life) and in rebuilding, there were construction errors. For example, she was forced to move in with Regina.

            That’s right, Emma Swan was moving in with the ex-mayor, ex-Evil Queen, current wife.

            “Are you sure I moved in with you?” Emma wanted to know.

“You weren’t going to live in Granny’s forever,” Regina said simply. “Or with your parents. Besides, Henry was tired of going back and forth.”

So Henry had survived the bomb. He was an awkward teenager, but he hugged Emma for thirty minutes when he came to visit. He had grown two feet but he sounded the same, and if Emma closed her eyes, she could pretend nothing had changed.

Except it had. She was in some sort of relationship with Regina (no one had jumped out yet or revealed the hidden cameras, so she was guessing it might not be a total prank). And they had adopted a kid together.

That’s right. At first, Emma was surprised that an adoption service let Regina have a child (though it had happened once). Then, she was surprised that she agreed to it-- her plan had never been to have children, not even Henry. And finally, she was just surprised.

Emma had only seen pictures of the girl, who was three years old. She was staying with Charming and Snow for now, Regina had explained. Apparently it had been a hard six months on the child. But Regina also looked awful. She didn’t look like she had spent hours in front of a mirror (which was how she always looked) and she sighed a lot.

Snow had whispered to Emma that she “wasn’t coping well with this situation”. ‘This situation’ meant ‘Emma’. So the whole statement was hard not to take personally.

Emma was also annoyed. She, for one, hadn’t asked to forget five years of her life.

 

Anyway. It was moving day for Emma and the whole house was waiting for her. Regina was pacing, which brought her back to her days as mayor when she had to control the whole town from going against her. (It was slightly less scary now, as she was pacing in fluffy, panda-print slippers.)

Lucy was sitting in her favorite high-chair and was spilling cheerios on the floor. She wasn’t supposed to be there for Emma’s return, but the cute four year-old had started rebelling against her grandparents and crying “MOMMY” wherever she went. To avoid kidnapping accusations, Snow and Charming gave her back to Regina.

But Regina couldn’t control her now. She wasn’t even sure where Henry was. And she had no idea how to calm down.

She had fought dragons and started wars, but this. This was too much to handle.

Because Emma, her beloved, stubborn, beautiful Emma, had no recollection of the past five years. Because in that time, they had realized that behind the hours they glaring at each other were something called feelings. It had been all lust at first, a secret affair, all sex and fun. When Emma broke up with Hook and claimed it had nothing to do with Regina, that’s when the ex-mayor knew. That was one of the happiest days Regina remembered: Waking up and finding a single Emma on her doorstep, claiming she left her signature leather jacket. Realizing that she was in love with the Savior. Confessing it, kissing, asking if they could try a relationship this time.

For the next four and a half years, they were inseparable. They cooked together, fought evil together, adopted Lucy together. It was them against the world.

And then it wasn’t.

 

* * *

 

Emma woke up on her second day home with the certain feeling that someone was watching her.

She yawned and groaned, “Regina?” because why wouldn’t that be the first word that she said when she woke up? She had stopped fighting the fact that the first thing she thought when opening her eyes was that _Regina is downstairs_ or _Regina usually sleeps in this bed with me._

In the past two days, she had seen a new side of the “Evil Queen”. That is, the side that made smiley-face pancakes with fruit and rationed Henry’s sugar intake. That brought chocolate milk from Costco in the dozens, for Emma. That knew what side of the bed Emma liked and which pillows were hers.

This Regina, to put it simply, cared. She cared about her house, now decorated in more than just black and white harsh tones, and cared about her family.

And Emma liked seeing it. She had always known, deep down, that Regina had _good_ in her, the kind of good that made Emma’s parents so strong and  gave them the name “heroes”. Emma might not have admitted it, but she figured now that she had to have had some passive feelings for Regina. Since they ended up married and all.

Emma had always felt like something could happen between them… Which had scared her. There was tension there, and when they had been left alone in a room, Emma would find herself avoiding the other woman’s gaze. Why was that? She had figured that it was because Regina might randomly decide to kill her at any time, but maybe there was something more.

 _No_. Emma pushed the thoughts down, as she had during the days five years ago that she remembered as yesterday. She didn’t have “feelings” for Regina. And so what if she looked hot wearing an apron and feeling Lucy applesauce? Emma had always thought people who could take of children were attractive; they were what she wished her parents had been, back before she knew the whole wardrobe-curse-saving-the-kingdom story.

So what if, above the bed in the master bedroom, (Emma’s bed. Regina and Emma’s bed.) there was a framed, almost-life-sized picture of Regina and Emma locked in a loving gaze? So what if Emma instantly knew it was a wedding photo, though she was wearing black and Regina had worn white (a play on the concept of good and evil, bride and groom)? So what if Regina had taken up scrapbooking (something Emma found totally endearing) and filled a shelf of the past five years? One day, Emma would look through them. One day, she would face the fears.

For now, she would imagine. Maybe she would remember something, like why she fell in love with Regina or why Regina fell in love with her.

For now, she would get Regina to tell her little stories, after they read to Lucy and yelled at Henry to turn off the computer and go to bed. (They already had a routine, one that Emma was somehow going along with without complaint.)

“Halloween 2012,” Regina said. “I was thinking about it the other day. Would you like the hear the story?”

There was no pretending that it was not awkward between them, with Regina perched on the end of her bed and Emma supported by pillows, a story that was only familiar to one of them. Likewise, there was no acknowledgment of the awkwardness.

“Sure,” Emma said. “I’ve always loved Halloween.”

“I know.”

There was a beat of silence before Regina shook her head as if to clear away with intimacy that her last statement had evoked.

“Anyway,” she continued, “We had just adopted Lucy and Henry wanted to teach her everything about Halloween. You were worried something would spook her,” Regina said fondly, “As if this town weren’t frightening enough already.”

“Why was it frightening?”

“Some villain.” Regina waved a hand. “I couldn’t even tell you which.”

 _So the town hadn’t changed much,_ Emma thought, smiling slightly. _Still battling curses and villains that belonged in storybooks instead of Storybrooke._

 _The only thing that has changed,_ Emma had realized yesterday after a walk to Granny’s and the library, _Has everything to do with me and the woman on the edge of my bed._

“You don’t have to sit there,” Emma said. She patted the place next to her. “I don’t bite.”

Regina moved, slowly, as if Emma might change her mind or scream. She didn’t.

The way Regina settled herself familiarly on the bed made Emma want to cry. As hard as it was to wake up and not remember anything, at least she didn’t have to watch someone she loved going through it. At least she wasn’t sleeping on the couch.

“You should stay here tonight. It’s not fair that you’re in the other room.”

Regina had never been one to lie and say something was no big deal. She accepted the offer without hesitation and Emma almost laughed. It was just so _Regina_. She had been familiar to Emma five years ago.

“Do you want to finish the story?” Emma asked. “I’d love to hear it.”

“So, once upon a time…”

They both laughed.

“Henry reads the storybook to Lucy, you know,” Regina said softly. “He always changes the ending, gives us a happily ever after. Lucy grins and laughs when he adds her into it—she thinks it means she’s a princess.”

“She’s adorable,” Emma said because it was true. The little girl had bright eyes and a bubbly laugh, along with chubby cheeks and baby feet. Emma had spent most of her time at home in Lucy’s room, a spare room pained light pink with stars sprinkled on the ceiling.

“Yeah,” Regina said. “She really is. She has my hair, you used to say, and I’d insist that she has your spirit.”

Emma blushed at the obvious compliment, along with the cozy memory. It was tragic, even in her eyes, that they had gone from being the couple who talks about their children that way, to the kind that sits apart and lets everything go unsaid.

“Henry is all you,” Emma said. “Resilience and determination.”

Regina turned to her, as if she had seen a ghost. “You used to say that, too.”

 

* * *

 

Henry literally jumped into the air, full of joy, when he came downstairs in the morning and found Emma cooking her special French toast.

“I’ve missed you,” he said, curling into his arms like he was a little kid. Emma hugged him back, wishing that he were still.

Behind Henry, Regina appeared. She saw the two hugging and when Emma smiled at her, she lost it.

She hurried away, heels clicking louder than the sound of the tears that were rolling down her cheeks.

Emma sighed. “I’ve upset her, haven’t I?”

“Of course you have,” Henry said with all the eloquence of a teenage boy. “You don’t remember being in love with her at all. That’s, like, rough.”

“I’m not getting any awards for Best Wife this year, that’s for sure,” Emma mumbled, staring at the place where Regina had fled.

“Mo-om. You’re supposed to go after her.”

“I am?”

“Of course. Pretend you’re Snow White, in the fairy book, and Charming just ran out. You’re not going to just let them get away. _I will always find you, remember?_ ”

“Henry. Not everything is a fairy tale.”

“Look around, Mom. You are literally living in one.”

Emma thought about the coma and memory l0ss as a curse. She thought about all of the other forms of bad luck and evil magic that she had faced.

“I’m going after her,” she declared.

“Of course you are. It was my idea!” Henry called after her.

 

* * *

 

They worked it out, somehow. Regina apologized (“I’ve just missed my family being together. I’m sorry.”) and Emma forgave her (“I’m sorry that this happened. I’m doing my best. I know that you are too.”). It was all very cliché, even before they hugged.

Regina wasn’t sure who started the hug, who reached blindly for who in the dark of the basement. (She had gone where she knew Emma didn’t remember being.)

But suddenly, they were in each other’s arms. For a fleeting second, Regina thought Emma had regained her memories, that it was all going to be okay. (She had had that thought earlier, when she saw Henry and Emma in the kitchen.)

Maybe it was never going to be okay.

And then she was crying again. (Maybe she would never stop.)

Emma’s hand was moving up and down Regina’s back like she was a baby that needed soothing. Like she cared if she felt better or not.

 

* * *

 

Emma wasn’t sure who started the kiss. But suddenly, they were kissing.

Regina’s arm was on Emma’s back, and Emma wished it felt more familiar. She couldn’t remember the last time they had kissed, or the first time, but she was suddenly sure that this wasn’t all an elaborate prank.

 _She liked Regina_. Maybe even loved. (She had gotten there before; there was no reason why she wouldn’t now.)

She liked how Regina taught Lucy to share, liked how she gave Henry a hard time about his grades. Emma liked their house, except for the fact that is was decorated all in memories. She wanted them back, suddenly, with a fierce ache. She wanted to remember the other times she had kissed Regina, wanted to feel this a hundred times over.

“I missed you,” Regina said in between kisses.

“I missed you too,” Emma replied. When Regina drew back and said, “Really?” Emma laughed and nodded.

“I didn’t even know that I wanted you,” Emma said.

“Well,” Regina straightened herself up, tugging at the bottom of her shirt and smoothing her hair. “I’m glad you figured it out.”


	3. PART 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This was written in the middle of the night with the intent to get words of the page. I apologize in advance.

**PART 3 : The End**

Regina somehow found herself sitting across the table from Charming. Again.

Emma and Mary-Margaret had just run out of the room to get the salad. Regina had watched Emma leave with a sigh; after the coma, she wanted every possible minute they had.. And besides, she was alone with Charming now. She knew what she had to do.

“David,” Regina said. “Do you prefer being called David? I can’t remember.”

“Whatever is fine,” he said with a kind smile. (God, she hated him.) “What’s up, Regina?”

“I have something to ask you,” she said through gritted teeth. They had had this conversation before; she had been just as hostile then. (Charming didn’t like people like her. He was pure, _good,_ and she was a colorful mixture of mistakes.)

“Is it about Emma?” he said, because he was _good_ so he could get away with avoiding the polite answer (which would have been “You can ask me anything, Regina!”).

“Of course it is,” Regina said in a silky voice. She cleared her throat. This was the not the time to get into a staring contest, she knew; this was important. And Emma would only be out of the room for a moment.

“Regina,” David narrowed his eyes. “What are you getting at?”

(Was it just her or was Prince Charming kind of rude?)

Regina took a deep breath. _Focus. Emma. Emma is the reason you are doing this._ Regina tried to remember all of the scary things that she had done in her life, all of the monsters that she had faced. And here was a family dinner, Prince motherfucking _Charming_ sitting in front of her and Regina found herself trembling.

She suddenly realized why that was. It was a simple, really. Her family, her children, her wife—Emma—Emma meant more to her than her power ever had.

Regina took another deep breath.

“David,” she started. “I want to ask you for Emma’s hand in marriage. Even though we were married—though we legally still are. I’m going to ask her again.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Wow, Regina. I didn’t see that coming.”

She gritted her teeth. Of course he didn’t.

“I don’t want her to be with me because she woke up and that’s how it was. I want her to choose me, again. I want it to be real again.”

Regina tried to meet her father-in-laws eyes.

“Do I have your blessing?” she said, though a voice in the back of her head was screaming that she didn’t need it.

That moment, Emma and Snow burst through the kitchen doors.  They were laughing at Lucy, who was tangled in her grandmother’s skirt. When the little girl saw Regina, she ran to her. Regina scooped her daughter into her lap without any thought and looked up at Charming.

He nodded once, slowly.

“Remember,” he said, once the couple was leaving what would always be known as the mayor’s mansion, “She might not say yes.”

 

* * *

 

Emma knew that Regina was starting to get uncomfortable with the amount of time that she spent at her parents’ house.

“I’m making up for lost time,” Emma said, time and time again. “I don’t even remember having a brother, and he’s already _walking_.” She said this like she could not believe that Regina did not understand.

“What about our kids?” Regina said in a quiet voice, once she had heard enough of Emma’s excuses.

“That’s not fair, and you know it. I’m doing my best.”

But Regina was not apologizing. She stood at the door with her arms crossed. “We are all,” she said finally. “We all are.”

 

* * *

 

Anyway. Emma went to her parents’ house. She liked how the dinners there were filled with pleasant conversation, liked that she didn’t have to worry about saying the wrong thing. She wasn’t going to upset anyone here.

At least, that’s what she thought. And then her father brought up Regina.

“So,” David said as his wife cleared the table, “What is Regina doing?” He said it as if she was obviously doing something bad.

“Nothing?” Emma said, suddenly feeling like a sulky teenager with a forbidden girlfriend. (She had been that girl once, but she hadn’t had a mother to lie to, a father to disappoint.)

“I mean, you wouldn’t be over here so much if things weren’t rough at home. Your mother and I are happy we can provide a good shelter, and you’re welcome here anytime.”

Emma swallowed. “Things aren’t rough,” she said, but it was a whisper and her father wasn’t buying any of it.

“I mean, it’s strange, of course,” she said, louder. “But because of the coma, not because of Regina. Regina’s amazing. She’s—I’m falling in love with her, Dad. Again. Is that a problem?”

Now David was the one who looked uncomfortable.

Thankfully, Snow chose that moment to enter the room. “Is he giving you a hard time?” she asked Emma, who just shrugged.

Snow bounced the toddler on her hip. “Now, David,” she said. “Just  

They had obviously had this conversation before, Emma realized. Her parents against Regina, who she had chosen four years ago. Who she had _married_.

Emma suddenly felt sick.

“I’m leaving,” she said, pushing her chair back with a screech.

“Emma!” her mother cried as she ran out, grabbing her leather jacket in such a rush that she knocked over the coat stand.

Her father was sighing and the baby was crying, but Emma was already gone.

* * *

 

 Emma didn’t know how else to describe it; Regina looked so _mundane._ When she thought of Regina now, she didn’t think of the swishing of a cape or how she had forbidden Henry from seeing Emma.

Now, she thought about how Regina came into Emma’s room (the former guest room; living together was enough, Emma had decided, she wasn’t going to push it by sleeping in the same room) in the morning to collect her laundry. How even the lightest of footsteps was now enough to wake her; sometimes, Emma even found herself waking up early and hoping Regina would come in.

Emma was walking home. When she was in a better mood, she had chosen to walk to her parents’, to enjoy the fresh air.

Now, she just wanted to see her family again. And for once, she didn’t mean Mary Margaret or David. She meant Henry. And Lucy, who was the sweetest little girl Emma had ever encountered. And Regina. Emma was walking home to find Regina, to pull the other woman into her arms and to make sure that she knew that Emma was on her side.

For once, and for all.

* * *

 

Regina woke up to the sound of giggling.

“Lucy?” she moaned, both of her eyes opening in one fluid motion that had less to do with being awake and more to do with wanting to protect her daughter.

Surely enough, Lucy was in Regina’s bed, but she was not nestled in the arms of a stranger. Rather, she was sitting on Emma’s lap.

“What’s going on?” Regina said, ignoring the fact that her voice smelled like sleep and that her lips felt tired.

“Mommy,” Lucy cooed. Regina reached for her before realizing that the little girl had her brown eyes focused on Emma’s face.

“We may or may not have been watching you sleep,” Emma said with a laugh.

Regina tried not to pinch herself. If this was a dream, who was she to end it? This was her fairy tale ending, this was the best dream that she had ever had.

“Henry!” Emma shouted at the door.

_Don’t leave,_ Regina thought.

She was sitting up in bed now, tapping on Lucy’s feet and making her squeal. Emma was laughing along and Henry was walking through the door with his little teenage swagger that Regina would never get used to.

“Join us, Henry,” Emma said. If Henry was surprised, he didn’t show it. (Meanwhile, Regina was trying to get her jaw off the floor.)

“Don’t leave,” Regina thought again, but this time the words slipped out of her mouth like a child trying to ice skate (hell, like _Regina_ trying to ice skate.)

She would have covered her mouth after, would have apologized for taking it too far or for being too honest, but Emma was already reaching for her hand.

“Regina,” she said. “I’m not going anywhere.”

 

* * *

 

Emma got suspicious when Regina suggested that they leave the kids with her parents.

“You hate my parents,” Emma said, hands on hips, which was usually Regina’s stance.

“Yeah. But you don’t.”

“Why would you want to leave them with people you hate?”

Regina frowned. She knew Emma hated addressing the tensions between her family and her chosen family—namely, Regina and Lucy.

“Because you don’t hate them. Also, I thought we were planning to go to the lake.”

Emma wiggled her eyebrows. “Oh, I see. You want alone time.”

“Yes. _God_. Now can we go?”

Emma nodded. Regina tried not to notice that when she smiled, it lit up her eyes and took over her face. Just like it used to.

 

* * *

 

The wind was blowing on the lake. Regina was trying not to cry.

It wasn’t like she was an emotional person. Because she was not. She was the fucking Evil Queen, she had killed more people than she could shake a wand at and she had mastered dark magic from someone who literally called himself the _Dark_ One.

She had faced all types of monsters, sometimes armed with nothing more than her two bare hands. But this was almost too much for her to handle.

It had been windy that day, too. When Regina took Emma to the lake for the second time.

(The first had been a date early on in their relationship and Emma had wanted to experience some sort of flying. Naturally, Regina had charmed them up to the top of the cliffs in the sort of flimsy bathing suits that girls wear on Ms. America. Right after they jumped, hand in hand, Regina cast a levitating spell that let them hover above the water. Emma was so amazed that she cried out before kissing Regina—which then made Regina loose focus, and they both crashed into the cold waves.)

The second time had been even better. It was two years in, and Regina knew that it was time. So they rented a canoe and sailed to the middle of the lake. The wind kept blowing so that they had to yell over it to be heard.

So when Regina asked, Emma didn’t hear.

“What?!” the blonde girl yelled. They were both laughing, and Regina’s cheeks were an alarming shade of pink.

“Will you marry me?” Regina asked, but the winds took her words away again.

“What?!”

Regina thought fast, and got down on one knee.

Emma gasped. It was like a movie, her reaction: her hands went right to her mouth, her jaw dropped, and her eyes got really wide.

Her lips were moving but Regina couldn’t hear a word.

“Yes?” Regina asked.

And then Emma was nodding and the whole boat was shaking, but that maybe that was the wind, maybe that was the furious nodding or the fact that Regina had been shaking like fear. (Because the monsters didn’t matter. _This_ was what mattered, the girl sitting in front of her with the wild hair and charming laugh.)

The boat was shaking and then of course the boat fell over.

There they were again, soaking wet, but laughing. Cold, but shivering in each other’s arms. Kissing, even though they could barely breathe as it was.

And now the wind was blowing again. But Regina was not going to lose it, dammit. She was going to propose again, to give Emma second chance to choose her. Even though that meant that she was giving Emma a chance to say no.

 

* * *

 

Emma’s hair would not stop falling in her face.

_Regina must think I’m a mess_ , she thought, but they were both too busy laughing about nothing. She wasn’t sure who had grabbed whose hand, but Emma was clutching onto Regina without giving it any thought.

Emma climbed into a canoe and tried to pretend that she didn’t notice that Regina couldn’t stop staring at her. (Not with love or rage, just staring. Like she couldn’t stop thinking about something and Emma’s face was her focal point.)

“You okay?” Emma asked.

Regina just nodded. “Of course. Scoot over, silly.”

You would think that Regina would never call anyone ‘silly’, that she would never be someone who cuddled in a canoe. But you would be wrong.

Emma was slowly relearning everything she had thought that she knew about Regina. She was slowly seeing all of the woman’s sides, seeing not only the good, but the kind, the funny, the competitive.

She knew enough about Regina to know that this place meant something to her. What it was, she just couldn’t say. But there was a reason that when Emma’s hand rested on Regina’s leg, she could feel it tremble. Why Regina seemed content to sit in a non-moving canoe with one arm around Emma while her other hand pushed Emma’s blonde hair out of her face.

“You’re beautiful,” Regina said into the side of Emma’s face.

“Shut up and kiss me,” Emma said, which made Regina kiss her, but then just laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Emma asked.

“Nothing. You’re just—I love you.”

Emma blinked. “I love you too.” It was the first time that she had said it, she realized, since the coma. The first time she could ever remember saying it.

“That’s why we’re here,” Regina said. “Because I love you. And I’ve already chosen you. But I want you to choose me, too. Emma. I want to marry you. Again.”

Emma didn’t know what to say. So she just nodded.


End file.
